Beverage Brewer

ABSTRACT

A beverage brewer includes a container, a container collar, a brewing material holder, a mesh element, and a drive assembly. The container has an open top, a closed sidewall, and a closed bottom. The container collar is configured to cover a rim of the open top. The brewing material holder is configured to hold brewing material and to be suspended from the container collar and into an interior of the container. The brewing material holder includes a sidewall having an opening, an open top, and a bottom. The mesh element covers the opening in the sidewall of the brewing material holder. The drive assembly is positionable on the container collar and is configured to be mechanically coupled to and rotate the brewing material holder.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/669,142, which was filed on Oct. 30, 2019, which in, turn isa continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/702,727, which was filed on Sep. 12, 2017, the entire disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to beverage brewing and in particular to a brewingdevice for hot or cold brewing of beverages, having a brewing materialholder that rotates or otherwise agitates during the brewing process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Several types of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and herbal drinks, arebrewed by infusing or steeping ground or shredded brewing material inwater or other liquid. For quick brewing, hot water is typically used.However, cold brewing, that is, infusion of the brewing material in coldor room-temperature water rather than in hot water, is sometimespreferred. For example, some coffee drinkers prefer the flavor providedby cold brewing, and bitterness and acidity can be avoided when brewingcertain teas by steeping in unheated water rather than hot water. Suchcold brewing is accomplished by submerging a portion of brewing materialin unheated water for a period of time to allow the brewing material toinfuse the water. While the steeping process may provide a desiredresult, the time required for cold brewing is longer than that requiredfor brewing in hot water.

Conventional cold-brew steeps require a user to measure and pour anamount of brewing material into the steep liquid. A pre-measured simpledrop-in portion of brewing material would be convenient, particularlyfor use in a brewer that simplifies removal of the brewing material andclean-up of the brewer. A brewer that can be used for both hot- andcold-brewing would provide flexibility, and it would be advantageous ifthe brewer would be configured to speed the cold-brewing process. Theability to use either loose beverage brewing material or pre-packagedbrewing material in a capsule or other container would make such abrewer universally useful.

It would also be advantageous to provide a feature by which the brewingtime is reduced when the beverage is cold-brewed. Many people prefer thetaste of a cold-brewed beverage, but cold-brewing typically takes a muchlonger time than does traditional hot-brewing. Adding an agitation orrotation feature to the cold brewer can reduce the cold-brewing time.Another manner of speeding the process would be to increase the flow ofbrewing liquid through the brewing material. Some conventional devicesuse a gravity feed to draw water through the brewing material using apercolator-type action, which speeds brewing time somewhat. However,these systems tend to have a motorized system outside the brewingcontainer to provide the gravity action, resulting in a brewer having alarge footprint that takes up considerable counter space. Also, thecomplexity of these systems makes them difficult to clean properly andexposes users to potential build-up of bacteria and other contaminantsthat affect the taste of the beverage and the health of the user. Othersystems use a separate container to store and provide the water to beused to brew the beverage, adding size and complexity to the device.

Therefore, a reliable, rapid cold-brewing system that uses a movingbrewing material holder to increase the fluid flow would provide anoverall improved brewing experience. It would also be advantageous ifsuch a system could be configured as a compact unit, preferably a unitthat could be portable. Flexibility would be provided if the brewingsystem can also be used to hot-brew a beverage. Such a system that usesthe beverage serving vessel as the source of the fluid used to brew thebeverage would make the unit more compact and simple to use and clean.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the invention, a beverage brewer includes acontainer, a container collar, a brewing material holder, a meshelement, and a drive assembly. The container has an open top, a closedsidewall, and a closed bottom. The container collar is configured tocover a rim of the open top. The brewing material holder is configuredto hold brewing material and to be suspended from the container collarand into an interior of the container. The brewing material holderincludes a sidewall having an opening, an open top, and a bottom. Themesh element covers the opening in the sidewall of the brewing materialholder. The drive assembly is positionable on the container collar andis configured to be mechanically coupled to and rotate the brewingmaterial holder.

The open top of the brewing material holder can open into the open topof the container through the container collar when the brewing materialholder is suspended from the container collar into the interior of thecontainer.

The bottom of the brewing material holder can have a closed surface.

The bottom of the brewing material holder can be a bottom cap having aclosed surface and configured to be removably coupled to a bottom of thesidewall of the brewing material holder.

The drive assembly can include an electric motor. The drive assembly caninclude reduction gears.

The brewing material holder can include first cooperative elements, andthe drive assembly can include second cooperative elements configured toalign and engage the first cooperative elements to mechanically couplethe drive assembly to the brewing material holder. For example, thefirst cooperative elements can include teeth, and the second cooperativeelements can include a corresponding coupler having spaced barsconfigured to align and engage the teeth to mechanically couple thedrive assembly to the brewing material holder. The teeth can be, forexample, generally triangular in shape.

The drive assembly can be configured to rotate the brewing materialholder such that the brewing material holder oscillates.

The container can be made from a transparent material.

The mesh element can be constructed from a material that is selectedfrom the group consisting of nylon mesh, metal mesh, paper mesh, andfilter paper.

The brewing material holder sidewall can have a circular cross-sectionand can include a frame having longitudinal members and connectingcircumferential members.

The mesh element can be a first mesh element, and the brewing materialholder bottom can include an opening covered by a second mesh element.

The brewing material holder can include a blade projecting inward froman inner surface of the sidewall within an interior of the brewingmaterial holder.

The brewing material holder can include a fin extending outward from anexterior surface of the sidewall. For example, the fin can extendoutward from an exterior surface of a bottom end of the sidewall.

According to another aspect of the invention, a beverage brewer includescontainer means for holding liquid, having an open top, a closedsidewall, and a closed bottom; collar means for covering a rim of theopen top; holding means for holding ground brewing material and forbeing suspended from the collar means and into an interior of thecontainer means, wherein the holding means includes a sidewall having anopening, an open top, and a bottom; mesh means for covering an openingin the sidewall of the holding means; and drive means for mechanicallycoupling to and rotating the holding means, positionable on the collarmeans.

The open top of the holding means can open into the open top of thecontainer means through the collar means when the holding means issuspended from the collar means into the interior of the containermeans.

The drive means can include an electric motor.

According to another aspect of the invention, a beverage brewer includesa container collar, a brewing material holder, and a drive assembly. Thecontainer collar is configured to be arranged on a rim of an open top ofa container. The brewing material holder is configured to hold brewingmaterial and to be suspended from the container collar such that thebrewing material holder opens through the container collar. The brewingmaterial holder includes a sidewall having an opening, a mesh elementcovering the opening, an open top, and a bottom. The drive assembly ispositionable on the container collar and is configured to bemechanically coupled to and impart movement to the brewing materialholder.

The beverage brewer can also include a container configured to holdliquid, having an open top, a closed sidewall, and a closed bottom. Thebrewing material holder can be configured to be suspended from thecontainer collar and into an interior of the container such that thebrewing material holder opens into the open top of the container throughthe container collar.

The drive assembly can include an electric motor, and reduction gears.

The drive assembly can be configured to agitate the brewing materialholder.

The drive assembly can be configured to rotate the brewing materialholder about an axis.

The drive assembly can be configured to oscilllate the brewing materialholder.

The brewing material holder can include first cooperative elements, andthe drive assembly can include second cooperative elements configured toalign and engage the first cooperative elements to mechanically couplethe drive assembly to the brewing material holder. For example, thefirst cooperative elements can include teeth or spaced bars, and thesecond cooperative elements can include a corresponding coupler havingmating spaced bars or teeth configured to align and engage the teeth orspaced bars to mechanically couple the drive assembly to the brewingmaterial holder. The teeth can be, for example, generally triangular inshape.

The mesh element can be constructed from a material such as nylon mesh,metal mesh, paper mesh, and filter paper.

The brewing material holder sidewall can have a circular cross-sectionand can include a frame having longitudinal members and connectingcircumferential members.

The brewing material holder bottom can include an opening covered byanother mesh element. Alternatively, the bottom of the brewing materialholder can have an entirely closed surface. The bottom of the brewingmaterial holder can be a bottom cap having a closed surface andconfigured to be removably coupled to a bottom of the sidewall of thebrewing material holder.

The brewing material holder can include a paddle blade projecting inwardfrom an inner surface of the sidewall within an interior of the brewingmaterial holder.

The brewing material holder can include a fin extending outward from anexterior surface of the sidewall. For example, the fin can extendoutward from an exterior surface of a bottom end of the sidewall.

The beverage brewer can also include control circuitry configured tocontrol the drive assembly to provide selectable movement to the brewingmaterial holder. The beverage brewer can also include a user interfaceconfigured to allow user input to the control circuitry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a side view of an exemplary beverage brewing deviceaccording to the invention.

FIG. 1B shows an oblique view of an exemplary beverage brewing deviceaccording to the invention.

FIG. 1C shows an oblique view of an exemplary beverage brewing deviceaccording to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an oblique view of an exemplary liquid container accordingto the invention.

FIG. 3A shows a side view of an exemplary liquid container according tothe invention.

FIG. 3B shows a top view of an exemplary liquid container according tothe invention.

FIG. 3C shows a bottom view of an exemplary liquid container accordingto the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of an exemplary beverage brewing deviceaccording to the invention with a top assembly removed.

FIG. 5A shows an oblique view of an exemplary brewing material holderaccording to the invention.

FIG. 5B shows an oblique view of an exemplary brewing material holderaccording to the invention.

FIG. 6A shows a side view of an exemplary brewing material holderaccording to the invention.

FIG. 6B shows a side view of an exemplary brewing material holderaccording to the invention.

FIG. 6C shows a top view of an exemplary brewing material holderaccording to the invention.

FIG. 6D shows a bottom view of an exemplary brewing material holderaccording to the invention.

FIG. 7 shows exemplary mesh material according to the invention.

FIG. 8A shows an oblique view of an exemplary drive assembly accordingto the invention.

FIG. 8B shows an oblique view of an exemplary drive assembly accordingto the invention.

FIG. 9A shows an oblique view of an exemplary container collar accordingto the invention.

FIG. 9B shows an oblique view of an exemplary container collar accordingto the invention.

FIG. 9C shows a top plan view of an exemplary container collar accordingto the invention.

FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of exemplary elements of an exemplarybeverage brewing device according to the invention.

FIG. 11A shows a top oblique view of an exemplary pouring lid accordingto the invention.

FIG. 11B shows a bottom oblique view of an exemplary pouring lidaccording to the invention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding componentsthroughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, a beverage brewing device 10 includes acontainer 12 configured to contain water or other liquid during brewing,having an open mouth on which a container collar 50 of a top assembly 20can be placed. The container collar 50 can be removably coupled to theopen mouth of the container 12 by any known coupling arrangement, suchas by a friction fit or threaded screw-on coupling, or can be affixed tothe open mouth of the container 12. The container 12 is preferablytransparent to allow viewing the water in the container 12 as the waterdarkens while brewing progresses, but can be opaque or translucent inits entirety or in sections. A handle 18 can be attached to the topassembly 20 to provide ease of handling. As shown, a brewing materialholder 30 is configured to be suspended from the top assembly 20.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3A-3C, the liquid container 12 is a vesselhaving a closed bottom and sidewall and an open mouth, and is made ofany suitable material, such as glass or plastic. For example, thematerial of the container 12 can be transparent to allow viewing thewater in the container 12 as the water darkens while brewing progresses,or can be an opaque or translucent material, with or without atransparent window or other indicator of the brewing progress. Theexemplary container 12 shown in the drawings is generally cylindrical inshape, but the cross-section of the container 12 can be any regular orirregular shape, and can have a decorative exterior. The open mouth 14can include threads 14 or any other cooperative feature configured toattach to the top assembly 20.

A side view of the beverage brewing device 10 with the lid cover 22removed is shown in FIG. 4. A drive assembly 40 is mounted within thetop assembly 20 above the container collar 50. The drive assembly 40 isconfigured to couple with the brewing material holder 30 and, whencoupled and actuated, to rotate the brewing material holder 30.

With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the brewing material holder 30 isconfigured to hold ground brewing material while allowing liquid to passthrough the brewing material in order to brew the beverage. The brewingmaterial holder 30 includes a frame 39 (see FIG. 6A). The exemplarybrewing material holder 30 shown has vertical members 32 and circularmembers 36 that intersect to form the frame 39, but any configurationthat is sturdy and also includes one or more open areas to allow liquidto pass through is suitable for use as the frame 39. The frame 39 caninclude an integrated closed bottom, or a bottom cap 33 can be coupledto the bottom of the frame 39, for example by press-fit coupling or bythreaded coupling. The bottom cap 33 can include a solid bottom plate 35to retain the brewing material within the brewing material holder 30, orcan have an open area to allow liquid to pass through, covered in meshto retain the brewing material.

In order to facilitate placement of the brewing material holder 30, oneor more handles or grips can be arranged on the frame 39. For example, aholder handle 38 can be integrally formed as part of the frame 39, orcan be attached, such as pivotally attached at the top of the brewingmaterial holder 30 by pivots 38 a. A user can lift the brewing materialholder 30 from the container 12 by the handle.

As mentioned above, the drive assembly 40 is configured to couple withthe brewing material holder 30 and can be used to rotate the brewingmaterial holder 30 in order to provide agitation that can speed acold-brewing process. Other features can be included to provide furtheragitation or turbulence as the brewing material holder 30 rotates. Forexample, fins 31 can be integrally formed on or attached to the bottomcap 33 as shown (or bottom of the brewing material holder 30 if a cap isnot used), extending downward and/or outward to provide mixing to thewater in the container 12 as brewing progresses. Similar fins can beincluded elsewhere on the outside of the brewing material holder 30instead of or in addition to the bottom fins 31. Blades 34 or paddlescan also be included that extend into the interior of the frame 39 tourge brewing material to mix within the brewing material holder 30.These blades can be of any size and can extend inward from any point atany angle.

Referring to FIGS. 6A-6D, cooperative elements are formed at or attachedto the top of the frame 39, configured to cooperate with correspondingcooperative elements of the drive assembly 40 to transfer rotationalmotion from the drive assembly 40 to the brewing material holder 30. Forexample, as shown the holder cooperative elements can be triangularteeth 37 pointing away from the brewing material holder 30 in order toengage corresponding cooperative elements of the drive assembly 40 torotationally couple the brewing material holder 30 to the drive assembly40. The holder cooperative elements can take any configuration that willallow rotational coupling to the drive assembly 40.

An exemplary mesh element 30 a of the brewing material holder 30 isshown in FIG. 7. As previously described, the frame 39 includes one ormore open areas that allow liquid to flow through the brewing materialholder 30. The mesh element 30 a is configured to keep ground brewingmaterial 30 b within the brewing material holder 30 while still allowingthe liquid to pass through. The exemplary mesh covering 30 a is attachedaround the inside of the frame 39 of the brewing material holder 30,covering the open areas in the frame 39. Examples of suitable meshmaterials are nylon mesh, for example fine nylon mesh (for example, 75micron opening or other suitable size), metal mesh material, and papermesh material or filter paper. Those skilled in the art will recognizethat other mesh material of suitable size and material can be used, andany such other mesh material is contemplated for use within the scope ofthe invention. Further, in place of the single-piece mesh element shown,each individual opening in the frame 39 can be covered by an individualattached mesh panel, or any number of mesh panels can be used to coverone or more openings. If more than one mesh panel is used, differentmesh material, such as mesh material having different-sized openings,can be used advantageously to affect the flow pattern of the liquidthrough the brewing material holder 30. Thus, any embodiment of abrewing material holder 30 that includes openings covered by panels thatallow liquid to flow through while retaining ground brewing material 30b within is included within the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the drive assembly 40 is configured to bearranged above the container collar 50, as shown in FIG. 4. For example,the drive assembly 40 can include lips 47 that straddle a handle support52 of the container collar 50 (see FIG. 9A) to fix the position of thedrive assembly 40 in place for use, but allowing the drive assembly tobe lifted easily off of the container collar 50. Drive for rotation ofthe brewing material holder 30 is preferably provided by an electricmotor 42, for example through reduction gears 44 and 46, to drivecooperative elements that engage the cooperative elements of the brewingmaterial holder 30. The motor can be powered by one or more batteries, ahand crank, a solar device, AC power, a spring force, or any othersource of energy. Any type of motor providing a rotational movement todrive the brewing material holder 30 can be used, and the motion can betransferred by a belt drive or any other mechanism, such that thereduction gears 44 and 46 might not be needed, or other gearing can beused.

For example, the drive assembly 40 can include a drive coupler 47rotationally coupling the gear 46 to cooperative elements such asvertical bars 48 extending outward to engage the triangular teeth 37(see FIGS. 6A, 6B) or other cooperative elements of the brewing materialholder 30 to rotationally couple the brewing material holder 30 to thedrive assembly 40. The reduction gears 44 and 46 adjust the rotationalspeed of the brewing material holder 30 as desired to impart the properrotational movement to the brewing material holder 30. Preferably, thespeed and direction of the rotational drive provided by the driveassembly 40 can be adjusted to suit the brewing application. Forexample, the drive assembly can provide continuous rotation in onedirection only, at a constant or varying speed, such as between about 30and 90 cycles per minute, or the rotational motion can be a reversingoscillation, such as between 90 degrees and 270 degrees. Preferably, thespeed, direction, and range are selectable by a user.

Referring to FIGS. 9A-9C and 10, the container collar 50 engages thecontainer 12 for brewing and pouring. For example, the container collar50 can include a central opening having a lip extending into theopening. The brewing material holder 30 can slide down through theopening in the container collar 50 until it abuts the lip. When thecontainer collar 50 is placed on the open mouth of the container 12, thelip supports the brewing material holder as the lower portion of thebrewing material holder 30 is suspended within the container 12, held upby the container collar 50. The drive coupler 47 engages the brewingmaterial holder 30 when the drive assembly 40 is placed onto thecontainer collar 50, to provide rotation of the brewing material holder30 during brewing. The container collar 50 can include a spout 54 thatfacilitates pouring the brewed beverage from the container 12 after thedrive assembly 40 and top assembly 20 are lifted away.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, the beverage brewing device 10 caninclude a pouring lid 60. The pouring lid 60 replaces the drive assembly40 after the beverage has been brewed, and the container 12 is used tostore and serve the brewed beverage. The pouring lid 60 preferablyincludes a lid handle 62 that is configured to be grasped by a user toremove the pouring lid 60. The pouring lid 60 can include a spout guard66. Once in place, the pouring lid 60 can be rotated to move the spoutguard away from the spout 54 to allow pouring of the beverage, and toalign the spout guard 66 with the spout 54 to prevent spillage (seeFIGS. 9A-9C).

Thus, the beverage brewing device of the invention can be used to brew abeverage such as coffee, tea, or an herbal infusion, from brewingmaterial such as ground coffee beans, shredded tea leaves, ground orshredded herbs, root shavings, or any other material from which abeverage can be brewed. To brew a beverage, the container is filled withhot or cold water, in order to hot- or cold-brew the beverage. Brewingmaterial is placed in the brewing material holder, in an amount desiredfor the intended beverage strength. The brewing material holder issuspended in the liquid in the container, supported at an upper end bythe container collar, and in time the beverage is brewed by liquid incontact with the brewing material. If rotation is desired in order tospeed the brewing process, a drive assembly can be arranged to couplewith the brewing material holder. When the drive assembly is actuated,the brewing material holder is rotated or otherwise agitated by thedrive assembly, increasing the flow and/or turbulence of the liquidbrewing the beverage in order to speed the brewing process. Once thebeverage is brewed, the drive assembly can be uncoupled from the brewingmaterial holder and removed, and the brewing material holder can belifted out of the container, drained, and removed. The pouring lid canthen be coupled to the container collar in place of the drive assembly.

In general, the beverage brewer includes a container collar, a brewingmaterial holder, a mesh element, and a drive assembly. The beveragebrewer can be configured to be used with an existing container, or caninclude the container, which serves as the vessel in which the beverageis brewed as well as the vessel in which the brewed beverage is storedand served, and has an open top, a closed sidewall, and a closed bottom.Brewing the beverage in the storage and serving container simplifies theprocess, cuts down on the counter space needed for brewing, and makesclean-up easier. The container can be made, for example, from atransparent material, such as glass or plastic, so that a brew strengthof the brewing or brewed beverage can be observed easily. Lines andmarkings can be applied to the container to indicate, for example,volume levels of liquid in the container.

The container collar is configured to cover the rim of the open top,providing a surface from which to suspend the brewing material holderand on which to support the drive assembly, and preferably providing aspout to facilitate pouring of the beverage after brewing. As shown anddescribed, it provides a stable outer surface and an inner openingthrough which the brewing material holder can be lowered into thecontainer and brewed beverage can be poured out of the container.

The brewing material holder is configured to hold brewing material, suchas ground brewing material, and to be suspended from the containercollar and into an interior of the container. The brewing materialholder includes a sidewall having one or more openings, an open top, anda bottom. The sidewall can have any cross-sectional shape, butpreferably terminates in an open top that is round, to facilitaterotation of the brewing material holder about a longitudinal axis. Forexample, the cross-section of the sidewall can be polygonal and abruptlyterminate in a round open top, or can be polygonal for the most part,gradually rounding out toward the circular top. The internal shape ofthe sidewall can be selected to produce the most advantageous fluidmotion within the brewing material holder, based on the rotationalmovement, direction, and speed of the holder provided by the driveassembly.

The brewing material holder sidewall can be a solid surface, with theone or more openings cut from the solid sidewall. Alternatively, forexample, the sidewall can be a frame made of frame elements that connectand leave openings between the elements. For example, the sidewall canhave a circular cross-section and can include a frame havinglongitudinal members and connecting circumferential members, leavingopenings in the spaces between the frame members. To further influencemovement of the liquid and brewing material within the brewing materialholder during the brewing process, the brewing material holder caninclude implements within and on the outside of the sidewall to directfluid flow and/or to increase turbulence. For example, one or moreblades, such as paddle blades, can be attached to or integrally formedwith the sidewall, projecting inward from an inner surface of thesidewall within an interior of the brewing material holder. Each bladecan take any size and shape beneficial to directing the flow of liquidas desired. Alternatively, or in addition, the brewing material holdercan include one or more fins, each extending outward from an exteriorsurface of the sidewall. For example, the fins can extend outward froman exterior surface of a bottom end of the sidewall.

A mesh element covers each opening in the sidewall of the brewingmaterial holder. The number, locations, and sizes of the openings can beselected for advantageous flow of brewing liquid through the sidewalland therefore through the brewing material held in the brewing materialholder. A single mesh-covered opening can be used, or severalstrategically-placed mesh-covered openings can be present to directliquid flow through and within the brewing material holder. The sizes ofthe openings can be uniform or varied, as can the material and mesh sizeof the mesh elements. Alternatively, a single mesh tube can be insertedinto the brewing material holder and attached to the inner surface ofthe brewing material holder, of a size large enough to cover the openingor all the multiple openings. Regardless of the form of the one or moremesh elements, each can be constructed from any material that canwithstand the fluid dynamics of the beverage brewer in operation. Forexample, the material can be any nylon mesh, metal mesh, paper mesh,and/or filter paper having openings of a suitable size to contain theground brewing material.

The drive assembly is positionable on the container collar and isconfigured to be mechanically coupled to and rotate the brewing materialholder. For example, the various components of the drive assembly can beaffixed to a platform or other base element, which in turn can beconfigured to couple to or rest on the upper portion of the containercollar. The drive assembly can couple with the container collar in anymanner, such as by friction-fit or snap-fit, or can sit on the collar,preferably keyed to a stable position so as to remain stationary duringuse. Alternatively, the drive assembly base can be attached to thecontainer collar by a hinge, allowing the drive assembly to be pivotedinto place when needed for a brewing process, and pivoted away from thecontainer collar when brewing is finished or when the brewing materialholder is inserted into the container through the container collar.

The open top of the brewing material holder preferably opens into theopen top of the container through the container collar when the brewingmaterial holder is suspended from the container collar into the interiorof the container. That is, the container collar preferably has anannular shape, and is arranged on the rim of the open top of thecontainer. The brewing material holder is lowered, bottom end first,through the central opening in the container collar and into thecontainer until an outward projection at the top of the brewing materialholder abuts an inward projection in the central opening of thecontainer collar. The brewing material holder is thus held in place in amanner in which it can be rotated about its longitudinal axis while thelower portion is suspended within the container. Looking from above, theopen top of the brewing material holder now opens into the open top ofthe container through the container collar. Arranged in this way,brewing material can be added to the interior of the brewing materialholder after the brewing material holder is in place, if desired. Thus,hot or cold water can be added to the container before putting thebrewing material holder in place in the container collar, or the brewingmaterial holder can be put in place first, and then hot or cold watercan be poured into the brewing material holder and over the brewingmaterial, filling the container through the mesh elements covering theopenings in the brewing material holder.

During the brewing process, fluid motion within the brewing materialholder might be directed upward at least partially and temporarily, andsuspended pieces of ground brewing material could be present at anylocation along the length of the brewing material holder, from thebottom to the open top. Therefore, when the drive assembly is positionedon the container collar for brewing, it preferably will cover the opentop of the brewing material holder so as to prevent spillage during thebrewing process. Thus, the drive assembly platform or other base elementpreferably takes the general shape of the open top of the brewingmaterial holder. When the drive assembly is positioned on the containercollar for brewing, it also couples with the brewing material holder sothat the rotation provided by the motor can be transferred to theholder. To this end, the brewing material holder can include firstcooperative elements, and the drive assembly can include secondcooperative elements configured to align and engage the firstcooperative elements to mechanically couple the drive assembly to thebrewing material holder. For example, the first cooperative elements caninclude teeth, and the second cooperative elements can include acorresponding coupler having spaced bars configured to align and engagethe teeth to mechanically couple the drive assembly to the brewingmaterial holder. The teeth can be, for example, generally triangular inshape. Any type of coupling arrangement and cooperative element designis contemplated for use by the invention.

The bottom of the brewing material holder can have a closed surface, soas to prevent any liquid from passing through the bottom end of theholder. The bottom of the brewing material holder can be integrated intothe frame of the brewing material holder, attached to other frameelements. Alternatively, for example, the bottom of the brewing materialholder can be a bottom cap having a closed surface and configured to beremovably coupled to a bottom of the sidewall of the brewing materialholder, such as by screwing on or snapping into place at the bottom ofthe holder frame. The bottom cap can include fins on the outer surface,as described above. Regardless of whether the brewing material holderbottom is integrated into the frame or removable, it need not have acompletely closed surface, and instead can include one or more openings,each covered by a mesh element.

The drive assembly can include an electric motor of any type as thedriving force for the assembly, and can be powered by an on-boardbattery, a fuel cell, a small solar panel mounted on the top assembly,or via an external AC or battery source. The drive assembly can includereduction gears if necessary or any other arrangement used to transferthe appropriate amount of output from the motor to the brewing materialholder. A spring-wound motor, hand-cranked motor, or any other type ofmotor can be used instead of an electric motor, as would be apparent tothose of skill in the art, or motion can be controlled by a hand crankor wound spring or other biased element with no motor at all. Controlsfor the motor can be provided by control circuitry and can be madeavailable to the user via a user interface that can include a panel orindividual buttons or knobs arranged on the top assembly or elsewhare.These controls can include an actuation control to turn the motor on andoff, or actuation can be controlled automatically, for example, bypivoting the drive assembly into place above the brewing material holderand completing an interlock connection. The motor can be simple infunction, causing rotation in one direction at a single speed, or thespeed can be controllable by the user, in steps or continuouslyvariable. The drive assembly can be configured to rotate the brewingmaterial holder in either direction, or in both directions in asequential pattern, such that the brewing material holder oscillatesback and forth. The speed of rotation should be great enough to agitatethe brewing material in the liquid within the brewing material holder,so as to speed the brewing process, but not so great as to inducecentrifugal force that would push and hold the brewing material againstthe inner sidewall of the brewing material holder. All of thesevariables are preferably made selectable by the user via the userinterface. Thus, in some embodiments the user can select the direction,speed, extent, and duration of the motion in any combination.

Further, the drive assembly need not cause the brewing material holderto rotate about a static axis. The drive assembly can be coupled to thebrewing material holder on a movable spindle connected to a cam, forexample, such that the rotational axis moves within the container,laterally and/or at an angle, affecting the fluid dynamics of thebrewing process. Alternatively, the drive assembly can be configured tomake the brewing material holder jitter or otherwise move eratically, orto simply move back and forth, laterally or in the motion of a pendulum,or in an eccentric pattern. Any coupling between the drive assembly andbrewing material holder that can be used to achieve the desired motionof the brewing material holder is contemplated for use with the beveragebrewer of the invention. Likewise, the inner lip of the container collaron which the brewing material holder is supported, and the surface ofthe brewing material holder that rests on the container collar, can beshaped to assist in providing the desired motion, such as by beingcurved radially or circumferentially to provide support for the motion.One or more bearings or other elements can be arranged at the interfacebetween the container collar and the brewing material holder in order toreduce friction and wear.

Thus, the beverage brewer of the invention includes container means forholding liquid, collar means for covering a rim of the container means,holding means for holding ground brewing material and for beingsuspended from the collar means and into an interior of the containermeans, mesh means for covering an opening in the sidewall of the holdingmeans, and drive means for mechanically coupling to and rotating theholding means, positionable on the collar means. The beverage brewer ascontemplated by the inventor is not limited to any particular disclosedmeans, and instead encompasses any such means known or unknown to thoseof skill in the art, as arranged and configured in this disclosure.

The present invention has been described by way of example and in termsof preferred embodiments. However, the present invention as contemplatedby the inventor is not strictly limited to the particularly disclosedembodiments. To the contrary, various modifications, as well as similararrangements, are included within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. The scope of the appended claims, therefore, should beaccorded the broadest reasonable interpretation so as to encompass allsuch modifications and similar arrangements.

I claim:
 1. A beverage brewer, comprising: a container collar configuredto be arranged on a rim of an open top of a container; a brewingmaterial holder configured to hold brewing material and to be suspendedfrom the container collar such that the brewing material holder opensthrough the container collar, wherein the brewing material holderincludes: a sidewall having an opening, a mesh element covering theopening, an open top, and a bottom; and a drive assembly positionable onthe container collar and configured to be mechanically coupled to andimpart movement to the brewing material holder.
 2. The beverage brewerof claim 1, further comprising a container configured to hold liquid,having an open top, a closed sidewall, and a closed bottom; wherein thebrewing material holder is configured to be suspended from the containercollar and into an interior of the container such that the brewingmaterial holder opens into the open top of the container through thecontainer collar.
 3. The beverage brewer of claim 1, wherein the driveassembly includes an electric motor.
 4. The beverage brewer of claim 3,wherein the drive assembly includes reduction gears.
 5. The beveragebrewer of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly is configured to agitatethe brewing material holder.
 6. The beverage brewer of claim 1, whereinthe drive assembly is configured to rotate the brewing material holderabout an axis.
 7. The beverage brewer of claim 1, wherein the driveassembly is configured to oscilllate the brewing material holder.
 8. Thebeverage brewer of claim 1, wherein the brewing material holder includesfirst cooperative elements, and wherein the drive assembly includessecond cooperative elements configured to align and engage the firstcooperative elements to mechanically couple the drive assembly to thebrewing material holder.
 9. The beverage brewer of claim 8, wherein thefirst cooperative elements include one of teeth and spaced bars, andwherein the second cooperative elements include a corresponding couplerhaving another of spaced bars and teeth configured to align and engagethe one of teeth and spaced bars to mechanically couple the driveassembly to the brewing material holder.
 10. The beverage brewer ofclaim 9, wherein the teeth are generally triangular in shape.
 11. Thebeverage brewer of claim 1, wherein the mesh element is constructed froma material that is selected from the group consisting of nylon mesh,metal mesh, paper mesh, and filter paper.
 12. The beverage brewer ofclaim 1, wherein the brewing material holder sidewall has a circularcross-section and includes a frame having longitudinal members andconnecting circumferential members.
 13. The beverage brewer of claim 1,wherein the mesh element is a first mesh element, and the brewingmaterial holder bottom includes an opening covered by a second meshelement.
 14. The beverage brewer of claim 1, wherein the bottom of thebrewing material holder has an entirely closed surface.
 15. The beveragebrewer of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the brewing material holder isa bottom cap having a closed surface and configured to be removablycoupled to a bottom of the sidewall of the brewing material holder. 16.The beverage brewer of claim 1, wherein the brewing material holderincludes a paddle blade projecting inward from an inner surface of thesidewall within an interior of the brewing material holder.
 17. Thebeverage brewer of claim 1, wherein the brewing material holder includesa fin extending outward from an exterior surface of the sidewall. 18.The beverage brewer of claim 17, wherein the fin extends outward from anexterior surface of a bottom end of the sidewall.
 19. The beveragebrewer of claim 1, further comprising control circuitry configured tocontrol the drive assembly to provide selectable movement to the brewingmaterial holder.
 20. The beverage brewer of claim 19, further comprisinga user interface configured to allow user input to the controlcircuitry.